Believing big #17: faith to clean up our messes

Spill on Aisle 2!

I worked in a grocery store from the time I was 15 all the way through my first year of college. I quickly learned the words, “Spill on aisle 2” could mean almost anything.

Pee was yuk (and not technically a spill). Sugar and flour were fairly easy to sweep. Jelly was no fun.

The worst was syrup.

Syrup was fluid, so it seeped into cracks and hidden escape routes. It was sticky so a mop or wet rag didn’t work. A hot rag was required. Glass shards hid in its sticky fingers, so you were pretty much guaranteed to get cut. Even if you didn’t, you worried that a sliver of glass was stuck somewhere on the floor, and the next spill on Aisle 2 would be someone’s blood.

When I graduated to cashier, I was ecstatic. No more spills.

Until the day I was talking with a customer and missed the bag, dropping an extra-large glass bottle of Griffin’s syrup. It shattered at my feet. There’s nothing more exciting than having 32 ounces of syrup splattered in a 2′ x 2′ space with broken glass and syrup clinging to almost every available surface, including me.

Can we just admit that clean-up isn’t fun, but especially when it’s due to your own bad choices.

This is faith that asks you to face the mess, do the hard work, and yet hold tight to the truth that God loves you fiercely in the midst of it.

We discussed facing the mess, but on day #17 of Believing Big When You Feel Small, let’s talk about hard work and how to hold on to the truth that God loves you fiercely even when you’re wading through the consequences of your bad choices.

Doing the hard work

Have you ever said something to someone and it was unkind? You knew it. You could see the effect on their face. You wished you could take it back, but it was out there in the open and there was nothing you could do about it.

Did you pretend it didn’t happen, silently commanding everyone else to pretend as well?

Did you point out the things that they did wrong, instead of owning your own actions?

Did you ask them to give you grace, without acknowledging that it hurt them?

I know you, friend. I know many of you by name, and I know how much you love the Lord. I know that you want nothing more than to show who Jesus is through your life.

And yet I also know me, and over the years I have done all of these. None of them are reflective of who I really am. Instead, it’s reflective of the battle going on in all of us.

Paul describes it like this:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Romans 7:15-24 (NIV)

There’s a real battle.

The battle is real. Our sinful nature is shouting at the part of us that loves God.

When we avoid the hard work of cleaning up our mess, we leave shards of hurt everywhere. When we avoid it, or try to make someone else responsible for it, we remain stunted in our spiritual growth.

When we do the hard work of cleaning up our messes, it may take time. We may need help as we do it. Yet, every time we do the hard work, we step into who we really are.

Let’s look at one more important faith factor.

We aren’t condemned.

Romans 8:1 reminds us that there isn’t condemnation for those who follow Jesus. That means — well, exactly that. We aren’t condemned for our past choices, because we’ve been forgiven. Instead, we have help.

The Holy Spirit leads us to a path of life — growth, self-control, joy, forgiveness. . . and even if it takes time, and even when rebuilding trust isn’t easy, there’s help for us because we matter to God (Romans 8:14).

Are you hearing “Clean up on Aisle 2?” Faith will help you through it. Faith will grow you. Faith will celebrate what God is doing in you.

Suzie

Day #17 of Believing Big When We Feel Small

Q: Do you identify with Paul’s battle in Romans 7?

Q: Name some of the reservations we might have about doing the hard work of cleaning up after our bad choices? I’ll start: it’s been too long ago; they are still mad at me; it won’t do any good; I don’t know what to say/do.

Q: How important is it to pray before you do anything, and why?

Share about a person who did the hard work, and how that impacted you or someone else in a positive way.

Awesome read! I have some cleaning up to finish. This was confirmation. I. did what I felt the Holy Spirit was leading me to do….only to question how much more messy it seemed to be getting. I am trusting Him to help me on aisle 2. God bless and thank you.

Lord, thank you that here is no condemnation but celebration as Patricia steps into one more level of healing. You are gracious. You are kind, Father. You take us in the harder paths, and that leads deeper and higher in you.

Hi,
I have been receiving your Believing Big emails and am saving them for later because right now I am doing several other studies and I don’t feel I can do justice to them if I divide my attention any further. In the past I have read The Mended Heart, Come With Me and your prayer challenge and did not want to miss out on this study. For some reason, I do not have the #15 or #16 emails. Could you resend them to me so that I have all of them when I do have the time to devote to them? I would appreciate it. I find your writing stimulating and challenging. It has been very helpful in my faith journey.
Shirley

Shirley, I don’t know that I can send them, but I can tell you that they are all right here, friend. If you click on CATEGORIES on the right-hand sidebar, you’ll see 21 Day Adventures and Believing Big When You Feel Small right under that. Click on that and all of the blog posts will be there for your viewing pleasure.

We are working to create a resource that will share all of the days in one convenient free download. : )

I’m doing the work now. Having to own my own bitterness, resentment, anger, and angry words that lead my husband to leave (I know it’s not all my fault). Having to ask for forgiveness, and work through all my own issues. Praying for forgiveness, and asking for help for all my faults. Let go of my pride, and admitting I was wrong and have acted childish at times. Seeing how all of this has hurt my poor innocent children. Through it out all I have grown. I searched for God, found Him, and now have a relationship with Him that I pursuing daily. Working to grown my relationship with God, learn about Him, and teach my children about having Faith during desperation. Learning what means to be forgiven, and how to forgive.

Praying for you Chanda. It takes so much courage and humility to lay aside our hurts and our pride but the end results are so worthwhile. Rejoicing that your walk with the Lord is deepening and that you are sharing your faith with the next generation. Blessings!

The favorite part of this is when you say, “Through it all I have grown.” Those are spiritual fighting words that say that your past will be redeemed, and God will work miracles in you and through you as you hold close to him and take those steps. We are cheering you on, Chanda!

Chanda,
It took a very strong person to be able to admit to your own faults as you mentioned above. That , to me, it the 1st part of growth and healing when we see ourselves clearly.
During your journey, don’t forget that you are loved and treasured by God more than you can ever imagine.
Seek His love 1st and foremost and the other pieces will fall into place as you walk with Jesus.

Oh Suzie, this is all so incredibly good. I’ve been there… more times than I can count. I am so grateful that there isn’t condemnation for those who follow Jesus! I am so grateful for second (and third and fourth) chances in Christ. I needed to hear this message not necessarily because I’m walking through it, but because someone I love is. I needed to hear the reminder that clean up takes time, and that even though I may be feeling shards of glass on my feet still from their mess, they are trying hard. I’m ashamed that I haven’t made it so easy on them, even though I truly have forgiven them. Thank you for the reminder that *I* have been there too, and was so grateful for this person allowing me the time needed to “make it right” and build up trust…. it’s time to turn the page and offer the same to them.